Environment

World leaders gathered in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday for UN climate summit COP27 to discuss ways of tackling climate change, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Addressing the Summit, which officially began on Sunday, Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, called on world leaders to act with urgency to implement their commitments.

07 Nov 2022; MEMO: The Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for a global standard on carbon pricing, emphasising the goal to reach stated climate goals by the year 2030.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: Egyptian security forces have arrested hundreds of people in the northeastern Suez Governorate in connection with calls for protests to coincide with the upcoming COP27 climate summit, a local rights group said.

01 Nov 2022; MEMO: Egyptian authorities arrested Indian climate activist Ajit Rajagopol who walked from Cairo to Sharm El-Sheikh as part of the March for our Planet global campaign, and then released him 24 hours later.

Rajagopol came to Egypt to participate in the COP27 UN summit hosted this year in Egypt's Red Sea resort town but was arrested at a security checkpoint.

New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Delhi recorded its air quality in the 'very poor' category on Sunday morning and forecasters said slow wind speed and an increase in stubble burning, especially in Punjab, may push it to the 'severe' zone.

With pollution levels worsening, the Centre's air quality panel on Saturday directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects, and other curbs under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan.

New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Delhi's air quality turned "very poor" on Monday morning as unfavourable meteorological conditions allowed accumulation of pollutants, and emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning compounded the situation.

On Sunday evening, the city reported a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 259, which was lowest for the day before Diwali in seven years.

10 October 2022; MEMO: Kuwait has unveiled plans to develop a completely carbon-free green city, to be named XZERO, Al-Seyassah has reported. It is planned to be the largest of its kind in the world, and the first in the Middle East.

6 October 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has planted more than 12 million wild trees and shrubs in a bid to combat desertification.

According to the Saudi Gazette, the National Centre for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) planted the trees while starting the Integrated Management and Sustainable Development of Pastures Project, which is part of the Kingdom's National Pasture Strategy Initiative, in line with Saudi Arabia's Visio 2030.

New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Crop diversification is not a long-term solution to the problem of stubble burning and it will take four to five years to properly resolve the issue, a senior official of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has said.

Crop diversification and using short duration varieties of paddy are among several initiatives proposed by the Centre and experts to resolve the stubble burning issue in Punjab and Haryana.

3 October 2022; MEMO: A royal source has confirmed that the UK's King Charles will not attend COP27 which is set to be held in Egypt in November as he distances himself from campaigning roles.

It was reported that Prime Minister Liz Truss said that it was not right for Charles to attend as it would make Egypt his first trip abroad as king.